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Committee proposes construction of additional residential college

A University trustee committee recommended the construction of a sixth residential college as part of the proposed 500-student increase in the size of the student body, according to a University statement released yesterday.

The Wythes committee — named for its chair Paul Wythes '55 — presented its report to a full meeting of the University Board of Trustees this past weekend. The trustees have approved the Wythes committee's report for distribution within the University.

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The report is scheduled tentatively for a final vote during the April board of trustees meeting, executive committee chair Robert Rawson '66 said.

The trustees approved the distribution of the Wythes Committee report to stimulate feedback from the community before the final decision, Rawson said.

"If we are to go forward, we wouldn't want to change the fundamental character of the University," he said. "We want to move with confidence and the support of the Princeton community."

Campus discussion

The University is considering several forums for discussing the Wythes committee's findings, Vice President and Secretary of the University Thomas Wright '62 said. "There is going to be a good deal of reaching out," Wright said. "[President Shapiro] would like to meet with the USG, hold meetings with alumni and develop several faculty committees."

The Wythes committee examined the consequences of a potential increase in the size of the student body. Wythes said the committee concluded that "Princeton should modestly increase the number of undergraduates it educates because, in doing so, it can enrich the overall experience of all its students and make fuller use of its educational resources without altering the fundamental nature of the Princeton undergraduate experience."

Though the committee examined the issues and made recommendations, several significant decisions will not be made until after the trustees review the reaction of University alumni and students, Rawson said.

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One of the more significant issues that has yet to be determined is the location for the proposed sixth residential college. "An architectural planning firm has been hired to help the University consider all the possible sites for a new college," Wright said, adding that the University does not intend to rush to a decision.

The committee considered the possible locations of a new residential college, but made no official recommendation, Rawson said.

Though the committee's proposal calls for a 10 percent increase in the size of the student body, the committee maintains that dormitory space and a new residential college are the only necessary changes. No changes in the number of courses, faculty or athletic facilities will be necessary. The new residential college would house both new students and students redistributed from other colleges, according to the committee's report.

The reduction in size of the existing colleges would not be detrimental to the college system, according to Forbes College director of studies John Hodgson. "I don't think that it would be negative," Hodgson said. "There are many potential benefits including increased diversity."

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